Chapter 100
I checked my carefully chosen outfit one more time and slipped on my shoes. The phone in my pocket vibrated incessantly. It was probably Go Hankyul’s messages.
“Yu Hyunjae! I’m ready!”
“Yeah, I’m coming out now.”
Yu Hyunjae was also dressed in casual clothes, something you wouldn’t normally see him in. It was the moment in my life when I felt most like a twenty-year-old. I gave him a thumbs up and checked Go Hankyul’s messages on my phone.
[Go Hankyul: Are you crazy]
[Go Hankyul: The line is insanely long]
[Go Hankyul: Have you left yet?]
[Go Hankyul: Good thing I came early, all the merch is sold out]
[Go Hankyul: Damn, what I thought was rock isn’t even rock, fuck]
[Go Hankyul: Having a serious reality check here]
I replied concisely.
[I’m leaving now]
[Go Hankyul: Are you out of your mind]
[Go Hankyul: Planning to come after the concert ends?]
[Go Hankyul: I’m going in first]
[It’s right in front of our place, I’ll be there in 30 minutes]
I sent the message and grabbed Yu Hyunjae, who was standing behind me, and headed out the door. He was helplessly dragged along by my hand.
“If we don’t hurry, Go Hankyul will really lose it.”
“But Chanhee, I don’t know any songs from this group…”
“What do you mean you don’t know? I always played them in the living room.”
“Oh, that really loud stuff?”
“Loud? Do you have something against rock music?”
“No, that’s not it… Anyway, it was really good!”
I gave him a look that said I’d let it slide as I stood in front of the elevator. Me in my jacket and Yu Hyunjae in his jumper—we really looked like proper twenty-year-old college freshmen. Even though we hadn’t actually gone to university, I thought this must be what college students were like. I stepped into the elevator and stood in front of the mirror.
“Hey, look here.”
“Huh?”
“This is where you’re supposed to take pictures and stuff.”
I held up my phone in front of the elevator mirror, carefully adjusted the angle, and took several photos. I’d taken selfies a few times before, but this was my first time taking pictures together like this outside, so it was quite embarrassing. At first, Yu Hyunjae awkwardly made a V sign, but later he posed more naturally. After capturing a decent photo, I proudly put my phone back in my pocket.
“Wow, this really feels like something.”
“Something like what?”
“Like we’re college students, right?”
I figured Yu Hyunjae probably had the same romantic notion about the conceptual image of “college students” as I did.
“Maybe we should actually go to college.”
“What about the village at the end of the land?”
“There’s a university there too, you know.”
“That’s true. Then let’s go there.”
“You’d come with me? You need to stay here and be a Ranker.”
“So… we’d be in a long-distance relationship?”
I guess so. I didn’t answer and quickly walked toward where the car was parked after getting out of the elevator.
“I don’t know about that. Let’s hurry.”
“This is my first time going to something like this, so I’m excited.”
“It’s not like I’m an expert. I’m nervous too.”
“I did a lot of research yesterday, and apparently the sound quality and visibility vary a lot depending on where you sit.”
“…You researched that too?”
“Well, I thought I should prepare and practice beforehand… Neither of us is familiar with these things.”
“You’re acting like someone who learns about concerts from books. Go Hankyul will be there, and it’s just a place where people gather anyway.”
“I know. But we’ve really never done this before.”
“You never went to see anything when you were in England? Like Broadway or something?”
“Well… I was always stuck at school.”
“You really lived a boring life, huh?”
“…Didn’t you too?”
“That’s true.”
We both acknowledged that we had lived boring lives and obediently got into the car. The car smoothly exited the underground parking lot and headed toward the stadium where the venue was. As we got closer to the venue, the number of young people increased dramatically. I looked out the window and observed their outfits.
“I think we’re dressed similarly to them, right?”
“Of course. Everyone dresses like this.”
Yu Hyunjae and I continued our country bumpkin-like conversation as we entered the stadium’s parking area. When we reached the meeting spot, Go Hankyul was standing there with his arms crossed.
“You got here fast. Can you see people are already lining up to get in?”
“So we’re not late, then.”
“Hey, if you miss your spot in the standing area, you can’t get in on time.”
“That’s just you with standing tickets. Yu Hyunjae and I have seats.”
“Well, aren’t you fancy.”
After some struggles, I received the tickets and entered the venue with Yu Hyunjae. The interior of the venue was very dark but equally dazzling. After finding our seats and looking around, Yu Hyunjae grabbed my hand tightly.
“This is amazing.”
“I know, right? Seriously, what have we been doing with our lives? Not even experiencing things like this.”
“Exactly. We should have been going to see things like this. Right?”
“Yeah. Don’t lower your mask.”
“You too.”
“…I’m even wearing a hat.”
“Yeah. This is nice, Chanhee.”
“…It is for me too.”
Soon all the lights went out, and the members of Eden South appeared. As soon as the first song started playing, I squeezed Yu Hyunjae’s hand tightly. Hearing a familiar song coming directly from the mouths of the singers standing in front of us was completely different from just listening to recordings. Yu Hyunjae also watched the stage with an expression full of wonder.
Why had we never even thought of doing things like this? Just because we thought this kind of life—the two of us watching something like this together—wasn’t allowed for us. That’s why I suddenly felt cheated. Among the people excitedly shouting, I also yelled enthusiastically. It felt like a release of stress.
*
“Are you okay?”
“…Yeah.”
“Your voice doesn’t sound okay…”
“Don’t make me talk.”
My throat hurt. As soon as I got in the car, I gulped down the warm tea Yu Hyunjae handed me. Go Hankyul, sitting in the back seat, kept talking non-stop about the concert.
“Ah, we should have used Yu Hyunjae to get into the waiting room at least.”
“Why would I get us into the waiting room?”
“Hey, last time I used Yu Chanhee’s name to get autographs.”
“You can’t even sell that in the secondhand market now. Eden South would be horrified if they saw that.”
“Why would I sell it?”
Go Hankyul continued explaining about the tracks they performed at the concert. I also enthusiastically joined in the conversation. In the middle of talking with Go Hankyul, I suddenly looked at Yu Hyunjae and noticed he had been smiling broadly for who knows how long.
“Aren’t you tired? Why are you smiling like that?”
“I am tired, but I’m just too happy.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s come to places like this often. You really enjoy it, Chanhee.”
As I blushed, Go Hankyul spoke from the back seat with a sullen tone. Should I drop you off? I mean, we’re in the middle of Hannam Bridge, but anyway.
“It’s actually nice coming to places like this with you guys. I never thought I’d be enjoying leisure activities with you two.”
“Me too. I’m seriously thinking about quitting being a Ranker.”
“I don’t know what kind of change of heart you’ve been having lately, but think carefully.”
“I am aware, you know.”
This happiness wouldn’t last long anyway. I still had many problems to solve. For example, the missed calls from Han Jaemin.
[84% toward your goal, 16% remaining to completion. Keep going! The finish line is in sight!]
And that dual-personality System that kept urging me to achieve my goal.
*
“So your conclusion is what, ‘I’m going to quit being a Ranker’?”
Han Jaemin asked dryly while fidgeting with his fingertips.
“I’m not saying I’ll quit. I’m saying I’ll lie low for a while.”
“Lie low?”
“I need to stay quiet until my Mana stabilizes.”
“Yet you fearlessly jumped into an S-class Gate.”
“That was just… Anyway, I’ve resolved to stay quiet after that incident.”
“No, Chanhee, how can I trust you?”
Han Jaemin looked at me impassively. The excitement from earlier had vanished without a trace as I stood quietly, looking back at Han Jaemin.
“Don’t trust me. I know anyway. I know you’ll target someone if I don’t follow your orders.”
“From the moment I learned you could control your Mana, I had no intention of letting you play around.”
“So? Are you suddenly going to make me return? That would be strange.”
“No. Do you know how much I’ve invested in the research institute?”
Han Jaemin said as he unbuttoned his jacket.
“Now we need to seriously research how you suppressed your Mana. The test subject is walking around perfectly fine, even going to concerts.”
“Are you telling me to go to the hospital?”
“There will be a familiar face at the hospital.”
“A familiar face…?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t think of any familiar face that would be welcome, but I had no way to refute him in that situation. For now, it was right to bow my head in front of Han Jaemin.
